At 17 I fell for a 50-year-old and caused outrage but we're still blissfully in love 35yrs on

Smitten Angela Willis was only 17 when her love affair with a relative almost THREE TIMES older caused outrage.

Smitten Angela Willis was only 17 when her love affair with a relative almost THREE TIMES older caused outrage.

Family, friends and neighbours were horrified when the pretty schoolgirl fell for 50-year-old Trefor Price - her dad's cousin.

But today Angela, now 52, and Trefor, 85, are still together and even happier than the moment they shared their first kiss.

Angela, now a mum to 16-year-old Garen, said: "My parents were disgusted when they discovered what was going on.

"The neighbours were stunned.Everyone stared at us when we walked down the street and said it wouldn't last.

"But we were very, very happy and look at us now - we are still blissfully in love."

Angela was a model pupil who had just finished O-Levels in 1973 when Trefor offered to give her driving lessons in his FIAT 500.

But her life was turned upside down as she fell for the divorced dad of four.

She said: "Tref was always round our house when I was a girl. He and dad were great pals and they would go to the pub together frequently.

"Tref had four children older than me, who I was friendly with, and I never looked at him in any other way than dad's friend until he took me driving.

"That's when things changed.

He was so handsome, he was smart and well turned out.

"He didn't look or act 50 and he was so much more attractive than boys my own age.

"I knew I was falling for him almost immediately but thought it was just infatuation and didn't dare believe he would be interested in me.

"A few months later we shared our first kiss during one of my lessons. We were parked in a country lane and Tref leaned over and kissed me. It was magical and so exciting."

Their relationship continued to grow as Trefor worked out a decoy plan to see his teenage sweetheart behind her parents' back.

Angela, now a social worker, said: "Trefor would come to the house more frequently to 'see Dad'.

"I couldn't believe I had this handsome man after me. But the guilt was terrible.

"I thought it was written all over my face. I used to sit on the sofa and sneak a look at him. I was smitten."

Trefor added: "She was so cute and I should have pulled back.

But I couldn't.

"We tried to end it several times but I was the driving force behind us staying together.

"I was divorced and lonely and Angela was so much fun.

"She was infectious, still is, and had a lovely smile. I couldn't help myself."

Angela's parents Blod and Selwyn had no idea their daughter was involved with Trefor until she confessed to them TWO YEARS after their first kiss.

Angela, from Abercynon near Cardiff, South Wales, said: "I used to sneak out to meet Tref.

My parents thought I was going out with my friend.

"Tref would pick me up down the road and we would go to pubs in neighbouring towns or stay in hotels.

"Local gossip had already started and I'm sure my parents must have had an idea that something was going on.

"Then one day I told them. It just came out as we were all in the living room.

"Tref was there too. My father remained very calm, although I could tell he was furious.

Angela's father ordered Trefor to leave the house and never return.

She continued: "It was hard for my father. In his opinion, he lost a daughter and a friend in one fell swoop. He was so disappointed.

"I was in college doing my A-Levels and he thought I was throwing my life away."

Angela's guilt was overpowering and the loving couple tried to end their romance but couldn't.

They continued seeing each other in secret until 1980 when Angela moved to Guildford, Surrey, to work with teenagers with behaviour problems.

But within a few months they were back together, carrying out their relationship in secret again.

Angela said: "If they had known it would have torn my family apart but my heart was always with Tref.

"I often got mistaken for his daughter. But so what, we loved each other." Then tragedy struck.

Both Angela's parents got cancer.

She said: "Caring for them was really tough but Tref was fantastic. He was so supportive.

"I wanted to tell them that I was still seeing Tref and we were deeply in love but I couldn't. It would have torn them to pieces.

"My mam went first in 1982. I didn't tell her although I think she may have known deep down.

"My father died a year later.

Trefor visited him in intensive care. It was the first time in years they'd seen each other and they made their peace."

Trefor said: "We never talked about me and Angie. I didn't dare. We just talked about old times.

"By that time, everyone knew about our relationship so Angie's dad must have known but it wasn't discussed."

The couple finally moved in together 10 years after they first started dating.

Trefor's family accepted the couple's relationship with open arms.

When theywed in 1989 all their friends and family were there.

Angela said: "Tref's kids had always been fine with me, which was great as it was one less hurdle to jump. We got married in 1989 when I was 33 and he was 66. It was a lovely day in the local register office.

Everyone was so pleased for us.

"All of our family, including the ones who said it wouldn't last, were there. It was fantastic."

And after 17 years together Angela's dream of being a mother came true.

At the age of 34, she fell pregnant with their son Garen, who has just finished his GCSEs. "He was a gift," Angela said. "We had tried for years and we were starting to think it wouldn't happen.

"It saddens me that Mum and Dad weren't here for the birth because that was one of their main concerns about me dating Tref.

"They knew I wanted to be a mum and thought that he would be too old to father another child."

She added: "Garen was a marvellous baby. Tref probably spent more time with him than most dads because he was retired.

Garen asked once why I'm so young and Tref so old and I said, 'We are like Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas without the money and the body'."

Trefor said: "Garen's kept me young and I don't feel different to other fathers.

"But I do think sometimes about not being around when he has children.

"I've got nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren so I know what I'll be missing. It makes me sad."

And having beaten the odds to stay together all those years, the couple are in no doubt that they did the right thing by not listening to the doubters. Angela said: "I'm a mother now and I would be devastated if I had a teenage daughter who came home and said she was with a 50-year-old.

"I wouldn't encourage anyone to do it. But I've had a lovely life and wouldn't have had it any other way."

Trefor added: "It would have been ideal if Angie had been a bit older but life isn't always what you want it to be.

"I've never had anyone call me a dirty old man to my face but it has been traumatic at times, although worth every minute.

"I'm so proud of Angela. I'm very lucky to have such a young beautiful wife at my age."